The Worst Way to Rehab Most Injuries

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee

When people get in really rough shapes with their spines, whether a disc bulge is causing pain down their legs, or a pinched nerve is causing intense pain from the neck into the arm, etc., one of the most common things to do is to try to rest it off. It makes sense to take a “it hurts when I do this…then don’t do that” approach, but in reality most of the time this is one of the worst things you can do in the long-term.

There are a couple of reasons why bed rest should be avoided at all costs. First, continuing to move is what leads to better results in a faster period of time. This is especially true for disc tissue, where blood flow

If your back hurts, you SHOULD NOT make this one common mistake.

is extremely limited; this means that the main way to nourish the disc is through movement. By stopping your day-to-day activities, you’re shutting off that healing environment in your body.

As the discs are trying to heal, the muscles and other soft tissues around the spine need to stay strong to support proper alignment. On bed rest, the muscles get weaker and you become more likely to get another flare-up down the road.

It is pretty rare that someone would benefit from bed rest. When it’s properly done, it is usually for a minimal amount of time, just to get the inflammation down. Your healthcare provider should be able to give you recommendations to avoid more flare-ups down the road and offer more than temporary patch-up care. This should include the right exercises, stretches, therapy (including chiropractic care), and additional support you may need, as your exam shows!

By doing that, you’ll be enduring new difficulties in your life in no time. You’ll basically be Bruce Lee.

– Dr. Scott